Sacred Heart University is stepping up to a new college football conference.

The school has been accepted into the Coastal Athletic Association, and will join the league in July 2026.

“We are pleased to welcome Sacred Heart University as the newest member of the conference,” CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio said in a release. “In an ever-changing landscape across collegiate athletics and in FCS football, Sacred Heart is committed to competing at the highest level and striving for championships. Sacred Heart is a great fit for the conference academically and geographically, and we look forward to what they will bring to the CAA.”

The CAA, known as the Colonial Athletic Association until 2023, has long been one of the power football conferences in FCS. A CAA member has competed in the FCS national championship game nine times since 2006, and most of those schools have since moved up to the FBS level.

James Madison, which won two national titles, moved up to the FBS in 2021. Delaware, UMass, Richmond, Old Dominion and Georgia State, all former CAA members, have also moved up a level. Villanova, which won the 2009 national title, will play its final season in the league this fall before moving to the Patriot League, as will William & Mary.

Sacred Heart will become the 13th member of the league next season, joining Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, Albany, Bryant, Monmouth, Elon, Towson, North Carolina A&T, Hampton and Campbell. The Pioneers will remain in the MAAC in most other sports.

Sacred Heart has a proud football history itself, having won six Northeast Conference championships and earned four FCS playoff appearances since 2013. The Pioneers, who were ranked No. 22 nationally in 2021, are currently competing as an FCS Independent.

“We are excited to compete with the outstanding CAA football programs. We fully intend to contribute to the legacy of this great conference with integrity, grit and with the Pioneering spirit that defines Sacred Heart,” athletic director Judy Ann Riccio said.

“At Sacred Heart University, our football program is dedicated to developing student-athletes through a commitment to excellence both on and off the field,” said head coach Mark Nofri. “Joining the CAA elevates that mission to a new level. We’re thrilled to compete in one of the nation’s premier conferences and look forward to making a lasting impact on its proud tradition.”